A Couple of Days Ride Outta…….

As I have said, ad nauseam I’ve been feeling a bit rough. After the ride yesterday I was surprised that although tired it went surprisingly well. That was until after my meal, a wave of nausea and pain hit me. I wandered a bit, then lay down I rotated these 2 three or four times but they both got worse. I endeavoured to force myself to throw up, interestingly I used to be quite good at that in my drinking days (ps. Just hit 19 years without a drink) anyway I failed despite multiple attempts. Eventually at about midnight, I put in an emergency call to a friend, she calmed me and by the end of our conversation I was relaxed and had decided not to call an ambulance.

I drank some 7Up and a Tropicana took some drugs and everything settled down.

The morning was like night and day. I awoke at 8.40 rearing to go.

The 1st hour of my ride was round in circles. I was trying to avoid a main road and went round in circles in the endeavour. Unfortunately I failed wasting 90 mins of my day.

Once committed the road was flat straight and full of traffic. Unfortunately I put the wrong port down for the boat to Cat Ba island. So when I got there and had been told no I had to do a roundabout route adding another 20kms. I rushed to the ferry boat, time was pressing. I jumped on snd 20 minutes later we landed on Cat Ba island. Cycling hard the last 20kms, the repercussion of going to the wrong ferry was that my last 30 or 40 mins would be in the dark. The Cat Ba mountain view will have to be seen in the morning if it is good enough.

As I rocked up to the Meo Hotel a £10/night bargain. The man said passport please, if I had the energy to sink to my knees I would have. As it was I flopped into one of their chairs and dropped my head into my hands.

Ambling out of the Royal Hotel I went to Daily Dose my favourite coffee shop. Coffee and croissant eaten I negotiated the roads back to the hotel, I think I sort of understand the traffic rules (famous last words 😬) Back to my room and completed the last of the packing.

There were some scales in the foyer me 77 kgs bike 23 kgs. I then got on the bike and pootled off. The route in cities is always convoluted but after multiple stops I got out of town

This route is shortish 67 kms, flat, through suburbs, by a litter strewn smelly canal there are minimal redeeming features.

But despite the low effort needed I got to my hotel completely drained.

Luckily the hotel manager has a friendly taxi driver who is collecting my passport and bringing it here. Saving me a shed load of money and time. Of course there will be worry until it’s back in my hand. I usually get hotels to take a copy of the passport and then retain it in my possession for some ridiculous reason this time i didn’t. 🙄 I know 🤦 but before you laugh too hard just think of the many times you have had a serious oops. I’m just the one honest enough to admit it. 😀

So here we have it just over a month in Vietnam 🇻🇳. I bought the ticket just over a month ago. And to all the people who always say oh Mark you must be super organised with visas etc. I always refute this ability to organise fact. So right after I booked my tickets I looked into visas, hmmmmmm. 15 days or 30 days 🤔 Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. I now have to get a 4 day extension or do some jiggerypokery in Cambodia to make the timing fit. 🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦 yep height of organisation that. I am confused why they send an evisa and I have to print it out.

I had carefully booked a 2pm flight so an easy start from home to Heathrow. But as we all know someone will strike. Baggage handlers this time. I receive a text saying, arrive 4 hours before the flight. Taxi was great 001 Taxis just in case you are interested. Bus, train (bus only takes me to central bus stop at Heathrow).

The staff Qatar Air are fantastic and helpful. But, having checked in on-line I then had to check in again. This gave me 2 boarding passes. Then at the bike drop I then checked in again and got another 2 boarding passes. Seems ridiculous.

Qatar Airport is immaculate, obviously still full of football memorabilia. Practically every shop is a designer shop. The food, even a sandwich is way overpriced.

I have been feeling a little ropy for a few days and the second leg was getting to me. I know who I’m blaming for this illness.

One of the bank cards I was going to use has expired (more evidence of organisation) but I still have others. I bought a sim.

Of course Hanoi airport is mayhem. My taxi was not there but eventually turned up with the help of the hotel.

I hope you almost have a fantastic new year’s eve and your 2023 is spectacular.

2 weeks on the Tuscany Trail. It’s just over 500km on and off road. Some of the off road bits you would struggle to call gravel, I believe a rock garden is a better description.

There has been camping/new tents, modern hotels, the most splendiferous old hotels, arches, ice cream, old towns, cobbled streets, tourists, ice cream, uphill struggling, down hill carrying, near ankle breaking walking, ice cream. Thunderstorms so devastating, wind so hard, ice cream. You getting the picture. 😊

Today I set off alone again, a sad picture I cut too, slouched over the handlebars. But a cool 45 ish kms around the outskirts of Rome. I was devoured once by the police for a burst water main. I saw a few buildings of Rome, but didn’t stop. I encountered one grumpy cyclist, many more happy ones. My route took me down a long private road that ended at a locked gate and i had to force myself and the bike through a hedge (there was already a hole made by others) the back route would have been way too long. Ate a feast of a lunch. Enjoyed my new headband and started wearing the Giro d’Italia hat I got as a present when watching the Giro earlier in the year, it has travelled approximately 4000kms and I forgot to give it to whom it was intended.

Now we’re into the off season campsite prices have cooled a little. But the shop not having any cold bubbly water is a frustration. Also after my shower today was the first day I thought about putting my shirt on to take the edge off the coolness.

Yesterday near the end of the day as I was riding I met 2 Canadians Ivars and Kim. They had just stopped at the top of a hill and I as usual fired 100 questions, Where? Why? How? How long? How far? Your bikes? Your gears? You know the usual stuff.

As I left Kim reminded me the second campsite was the one to go to. I did think for a moment they would be going to the 1st campsite. That thought lingered only a millisecond, they were Canadian, renowned for their amenable disposition, they wouldn’t give me a bum steer from only 5 mins of meeting.

I eventually got to the campsite, pitched tent and relaxed. To my relief Kim and Ivars came in soon after, their route had sent them down some pretty muddy paths.

After cleaning up and getting sorted Ivars asked if I would like to join them and discuss trips etc. I readily agreed. We spent an hour or so talking. I’m so jealous of some of the routes they have taken and Ivars pictures are a class way above my scattergun approach. What a joy to sit down and talk. Thanks Ivers and Kim for a great evening. 😃

As I packed up in the morning Kim and Ivars were leaving at the same time, sorry no pictures.

My route to Pisa went up and up for the first hour, cream croissants, other patisseries and double espresso fuelled my way. At one of the cafes the guys, never seen a woman in those type of cafes yet, said I had to miss an extended bridge and use another route. I heeded their warning and was rewarded by a spectacular route which at one point turned into a serious off road mountain bike route necessitating walking and carrying. A local showed me the way at a couple of points as I was hesitating, he wavered away the Do Not Pass Here sign. All was good and the final steep switchback road was a full test on my brakes.

The rest of the route was flat as a pancake. But it got me to Pisa.

Well despite my day off in Croatia I made up some kms yesterday, the Monte Zoncolon was on my mind, I would have hated to get this close and not had time to ride it. After all it was one of the prime reasons I took this route.

I heard riding the route up from Ovaro was the harder direction, hmmmm why would I take any other route.

I designed the route last night and when I got out on the road somehow (sheer incompetence) I had neglected to notice the designed route was anticlockwise not clockwise. Added to that there was a large street marked in Tolmezzo blocking many of the streets.

But after some calming 😌 moments I followed the GPS route backwards. My bike void of any luggage felt fast and nimble.

The climb twists and turns ziz zagging. 3 or 4 times I did have to focus and steel myself, seeing what looks like a near vertical face in front of you to cycle up is momentarily daunting.

But I gave the climb too much respect, I mostly climbed sitting down with just a few occasions standing up, but these were on the dlightly less inclined parts and only to relieve the pressure on my ass. There is always the chance that if I had pushed just a little harder I may not have made it. As always different days/time/fitness/etc/etc all contribute to how one is feeling while climbing, but the Angliru, a couple of years ago, there were points I could only just turn the pedals over.

At just over 8 kms I was quickly at the top

I was going to put some more kms in but saw this campsite by a lake and couldn’t resist.